Dating website reveals Newfoundlanders look to attract a mate with two key words

They may not immediately come across as the sexiest of words to include in your online dating profile, but hear Kimberly Moffit out: Newfoundlanders are making sense when they include “cabin” and “Horton’s” in their attempts to attract a partner online.

Moffit is a psychotherapist and a relationship expert with Match, a dating website which recently compiled data on the most popular words used by Canadians in their profiles, by province. Newfoundlanders’ love of coffee was displayed in the spring of 2015 with “Horton’s” (as in the coffee shop chain) topping the list, but that changed to “cabin” last fall. “Cabin” is still the most popular word, as of Match’s data compilation in the past few months.

“I think it’s great,” Moffit says. “It might not seem sexy, but you know what? I think people can relate to liking Tim Horton’s. It’s actually a really relatable thing to put in a profile.”

Nova Scotians also like their Tim’s, with “Horton’s” and “waterfront” showing up on their profiles most often. People in Ontario are also focused on getting away for the weekend, with “cottage” and “Georgian” among their top words (Georgian Bay is one of that province’s most popular summer home areas). The other was “monogamous.”

In New Brunswick, the most popular words were “français,” “bonfire” and “woods, and in PEI it was “harness,” “gathering” and “folks.”

On the other end of the country, the most used words in the profiles of Match users from BC were “grouse,” “seawall” and “Canucks.”

“My advice for dating profiles is to include detail,” Moffit says. “Talk about the things you’re interested in and places you like to go. I think the more detail, the better.”

Ten or 15 years ago there was a stigma around online dating that simply doesn’t exist anymore, Moffit says. According to information from Match, more than half the population uses online dating sites or apps. The majority of Match members are in the 30 to 49 category for age, but the fastest growing category is 50-plus.

Dating in a province like ours, with a small population, has its challenges, but making yourself stand out (in a good way) is key.

Here are Moffit’s tips for online dating success:

• Use a photo (and not that one taken at your sister’s wedding 10 years ago, when you were 30 pounds heavier/lighter and had a different hair colour, or the one where you cropped your ex-partner out). “Statistics show your profile will be viewed seven times more if it has a photo. Make sure it’s nothing too personal: nothing with your ex-wife or kids, and not you skiing down a mountain. Use a good, recent headshot that shows your features,” Moffit says.

• Include detail but don’t ramble. “Avoid clichés like ‘I like long walks on the beach,” Moffit says. “Anything to make yourself stand out.”

• Go on that first date quickly. “Aim to get on a first date as soon as possible. People sometimes end up talking for a month and then going out on their first date (and not feeling a spark) and realizing they wasted all that time,” Moffit says.

• Make your first date somewhere public- like Tim Horton’s. “Choose a
common place where you can sit down and chat. Research has shown that in the first seven seconds people will have some idea of the level of attraction they have towards a person,” Moffit says. “Really, after 20 minutes you’ll know. Don’t commit to a six-course meal.”